Suffolk claims 430 square miles, making it Virginia's largest city by area, spreading across the coastal plain of southeastern Virginia. The city of 94,000 occupies extremely flat terrain ranging from sea level to roughly 50 feet elevation. Numerous waterways including the Nansemond River and Lake Kilby define the landscape. Humid subtropical climate brings mild winters averaging in the mid-40s and hot, humid summers reaching the upper 80s. Dense pine forests and former agricultural land characterize much of Suffolk's territory, with urban development concentrated in several distinct communities rather than one continuous city center.
